An individual's behaviour may depend on what others in society are perceived to be doing. 'Social influence' captures the possibility that a person's preferences may be altered by those with whom the person interacts. For example, childbearing outside marriage may be discouraged by social stigma when non-marital births are rare, but this stigma may be eroded as more childbearing is outside marriage. As a consequence, each person's actions change not only because of the direct change in some 'fundamental determinant' of individual behaviour, but also because of the change in the behaviour of their peers. In other words, there are multiplier effects that tend to produce large changes in social behaviour and spatial concentrations of particular behaviour.
Much of social psychology focuses on social behaviour, such as forms of social influence and social interactions. Theories of social influence include social comparison theory and a distinction between the value of normative influence and informational influence.
Research on conformity has shown that individuals may unintentionally attend to and abide by emerging group norms. Studies of group pressure show that subjects will confomr in matters of fact as well as of opinion.
Classic research on obedience revealed a much higher rate of obedience to authority than experts had anticipated. It is possible that situations involving obedience to authority have more power than individuals expect or caneasily overcome. Variables that can influence obedience include the distance between the subject and the intended victim, the distance between the subject and the authority figure, and the legitimacy and respectability of the authority figure.
The study of social interactions has explained basic processes in interpersonal relationships, group processes, and prosocial behaviour.
Research on interpersonal relationships has examined affiliation, friendship, and intimate relationships. Affiliation may be motivated by social comparison or by a desire to reduce fear. Friendship may begin with processes of interpersonal attraction, but it continues with a shift from an exchange basis to valuing communality of interaction and investment.
Studies of intimate relationships have resulted in the development of several theories of love, including liking-versus-loving theory, companionate versus passionate love, and the triarchic theory of love. Intimate relationships depend critically on the qulaity of communication, particularly on the quality and pacing of self-disclosure. Finally, research suggests that equity is an essential quality of lasting relationships, and that inequitable relationships are likely to experience conflict and deterioration.
Group processes involve three or more people who interact and influence each other. Some group processes are a function of the mere presence of others, while others are particular to problem-solving groups. "Mere presence" effects include social facilitation and deindividuation. Specific group dynamics include group polarization, groupthink, and minority influence.
People's willingness to help each other, or prosocial behaviour, has been the subject of much research in recent decades. Prosocial norms such as reciprocity and social responsiblity encourage helping behaviour, while inhibitions like the bystander effect discourage it. Prosocial behaviour can be increased through the use of such strategies as reducing ambiguity, increasing personal responsiblity, inducing guilt, and modelling helping behaviour.
Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say of do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…
I am convinced that life is
10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
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